Virat Kohli, the superstar of the global cricket world, was reported to be playing under the captaincy of Tejashwi Yadav, the current high-profile name in Bihar politics and the leader of the RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) party.
The Delhi-born cricketer, during his early cricketing days used to play along with Tejaswi in domestic cricket.
Popularly known as the son of the former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Yadav, the former cricketer was part of the IPL franchise Delhi Daredevils squad led by Virender Sehwag.
A Brief Intro About Tejashwi Yadav
Born on 09th November 1989, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav was a dropped out student after Class 08 or mid-way of Class 09, having attended Delhi Public School (DPS) at RK Puram in New Delhi.
He was passionate towards cricket at a very young age such that he omitted the Class 10 board exams only to dedicate his full-time towards sports rather than main education.
Back in 2003, the 13-year-old Tejashwi marked his debut as an all-rounder for Delhi in the Under-15 level tournament against Jammu and Kashmir.
Also, he was the stand-by player of Virat Kohli-led India’s Under-19 World Cup-winning squad back in 2008. Even though he represented Delhi at junior level, but switched to Jharkhand in and tried his level best to contribute for his side in domestic cricket tournaments like Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) as well as the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Tejashwi Yadav’s Domestic Cricket Stats
Compared to other talented players, Tejashwi Yadav’s stats has been mediocre in domestic cricket having compiled 37 runs and a wicket in 7 matches played for Jharkhand.
Here is a glimpse of his stats as a right-handed batter and part-time bowler across three different formats (First Class, List A, and T20 Cricket):
| Information | First Class | List A | T20 Cricket |
| Overall Matches Played | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Runs Scored and Innings | 20 Runs in 2 Innings | 14 Runs in 2 Innings | 3 Runs in 1 Inning |
| Balls Faced | 19 | 9 | 03 |
| Average | 10.00 | 7.00 | 3.00 |
| Strike Rate | 90.90 | 70.00 | 75.00 |
| Highest Score in an Inning | 22 | 20 | 4 |
| Fours and Sixes | 4 Fours | 1 Six | – |
| Wickets Taken and Innings Played | 0 (in 1 Inning) | 1 Wicket (in 2 Innings) | 0 (in 3 Inning) |
| Runs Conceded | 17 | 23 | 50 |
| Balls Bowled | 30 | 24 | 36 |
| Bowling Average | – | 23.00 | – |
| Bowling Economy | 3.40 | 5.75 | 8.33 |
| Best Bowling Figures in an Inning | – | 1/10 | – |
An Unexpected End to Tejashwi Yadav’s Cricket Career
Tejashwi Yadav in his past interviews, revealed that due to ligament fracture, he had no choice rather quit his dreams of becoming a full-time professional cricketer.
Ever since he made his exit from cricket in 2013, Tejashwi has opened up a new phase in his life by entering state-level politics.
‘Virat Played Under My Captaincy’: Tejashwi Yadav
Back on September 15, 2024 (Sunday), the RJD party leader Tejashwi Yadav opened up to Zee media that there was no one to talk about the truth that Virat Kohli played under his leadership:
“Yeah! I used to be a cricketer, but no one has talked about it. Also, it is a fact that Virat Kohli too played under my captaincy. Did anyone ever discuss or ask about it? I don’t understand why they don’t ask about this. As a professional cricketer, I played the best level of cricket. Moreover, several players of Team India were indeed my batchmates,” the 36-year-old told.
Rumor or Reality: Did Virat Kohli Really Play Under Tejashwi Yadav’s Captaincy?
Cricket records reveal that Virat Kohli never played under Tejashwi Yadav’s captaincy at competitive level matches. Both of them represented different teams in domestic cricket (Tejashwi for Jharkhand and Kohli for Delhi).
Perhaps, the Indian batting stalwart might have played under the current Bihar politician’s leadership in any of the unofficial matches.
However, it is reported that Tejashwi and Virat together played several matches for Delhi at the junior level of cricket.
Kohli and Tejashwi Batted Together in Under-15 Cricket
Back on 06th November, Virat Kohli and Tejashwi Prasad Yadav played together for the Delhi Under-15 team in the Polly Umrigar Trophy 2003-04 season.
Delhi triumphed over Kashmir in the 3-day match by an innings and 55 runs. Kohli was the core contributor for his side, having scored 119 runs out of 302 balls (including 13 fours). As a 15-year-old, Virat showed his consistency as a No.4 batter by building consistent partnerships under pressure.
Interestingly, Tejashwi Yadav too shared the on-field batting presence with Kohli for a short duration. But, he failed to make a big impact in that game as he departed for a 9-ball-duck.
In reality, Tejashwi was the one who played under Virat’s captaincy at that time.
Was Tejashwi Yadav Part of the Delhi Daredevils Playing XI?
No! Having been acquired by Delhi Daredevils for INR 8 crore, Tejashwi Yadav was part of the team from 2008 to 2013, but never got an opportunity to secure his spot in the playing XI. In other words, he was unfortunate to have not played his first match of the world’s prestigious franchise T20 league, like the IPL.
Final Opinion: Comparison of Virat and Tejashwi’s Success Story
While Virat Kohli continues to rewrite history with his exceptional batting performances, Tejashwi Yadav has already established his fame as Bihar’s most renowned politician.
To be precise, Tejashwi transformed from a cricket captain to a political leader. Likewise, Virat’s transition from a chubby-looking Delhi player to becoming the King of Cricket has been truly inspiring.
Overall, the former teammates of the Delhi Under-15 squad (referring to Kohli and Tejashwi) chose different positions but went on to achieve success in their respective careers.